


Trees of Paradise

by wulfpup



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 12:49:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15510255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wulfpup/pseuds/wulfpup
Summary: A simple love story. Chanyeol, a tree spirit, is in love with one of the trees of Paradise.





	Trees of Paradise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [baekyeolkr (armani_anagram)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/armani_anagram/gifts).



> Hello lovely people :) I am back with a mini two shot, and this is the first part. The story is a little unconventional, and the style of storytelling is a little unconventional as well (stream of consciousness-ish? Idk), but if you stick with me till the end, I swear you’ll like it. 
> 
> The EXO members here are all tree spirits, with the exception of Kai (who is a dragon) and Luhan (who is a doe) and the setting is in the Garden of Paradise, aka Amaravati. It could be a fable, it can also pass off as a fairytale. Tell me later what you see it as. And we have M to thank for it because it is her prompt and her birthday fic. 
> 
> I borrowed some bits from mythology and some from my overactive imagination. 
> 
> Here’s hoping that each one of you who stumble upon this fic loves it. 
> 
> My Twitter id - [Wulfpup6104](https://twitter.com/wulfpup6104)
> 
>  
> 
> Song : [I am in love by Ra D](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f5OXgF__fbE)

 

 

“ _ For you have five trees in Paradise which do not change, either in summer or in winter, and their leaves do not fall. He who knows them shall not taste of death.” _

  
  
  
In  _ Amaravati,  _ there were five trees of paradise, heavenly and wish fulfilling, but not quite the same. The oldest and the ancient most among them, possessor of the most divinity, harbinger of good fortune, was a mulberry tree. It was known for liberating lost souls from the unending chain of bondage. Its tree spirit - Junmyeon - was revered all  _ through Amaravati,  _ worshipped by the mortals, and extolled by the inhabitants of the garden of paradise.

Wise people knew that the tree spirits were not different from the trees, nor in essence, nor in spirit. They were one and the same.

The youngest was the sandalwood tree which kept evil spirits at bay. Its tree spirit - Sehun - was shy and rarely came out to play. The extremely fortunate sometimes spied him playing the flute atop the mountains north of  _ Amaravati _ . 

Sehun’s sandalwood tree was situated around the outskirts, far from the loving populace of  _ Amaravati _ , far from their prying eyes. Sehun the tree spirit was benevolent when it came to blessings, but did not enjoy company most other times. His music though, spread far and wide with the wind, and gave a new lease of life to the weary and worn out. 

Eight hundred miles in circumference and forty miles in height,  _ Amaravati  _ was the preferred place of all celestial beings. There were two gates to this heavenly abode, and a coral tree was situated right in the entrance to the garden. Seulgi, they called its tree spirit. She was as sprightly and vivacious of nature as the lovely scarlet flowers which her tree bore. Known for relieving one of ailments, Seulgi preferred to stay in the human plane. She found it tiresome in  _ Amaravati _ , especially since Baekhyun left their abode, never to step foot on it again.

Seulgi and Baekhyun had been playmates since time immemorial; they were known for their harmless fights and friendly rivalry. But now Baekhyun was gone and  _ Amaravati  _ was a drab place for the coral tree spirit. 

_ Would Baekhyun never return _ , the flora and fauna gossiped among themselves. Perhaps. Who knew. Who knew the heart of such a tree spirit!

Situated on the other gate many miles away was the wood apple tree. To please Soojung, the spirit of the wood apple tree, was not hard at all. She was gay, laughingly meeting all sorts of creatures who came across her. She granted humans all manner of boons, and visited babies in their cribs to bless them. Soojung could dance to music without any music playing; she could rival the courtesans of the heavenly court. When she went traipsing around the gardens, wood nymphs and water nymphs would hide themselves in shame. A peerless beauty - Soojung.

And lastly, right in the heart of the garden, there stood Baekhyun’s tree, the _parijat - the_ _night_ _jasmine,_ the only wonder worth mentioning among all the wonders of the world. If the melody from Sehun’s flute reached far and wide, the sweet fragrance from Baekhyun’s tree wafted to the far ends of the celestial plane, delighting one and all.

The tree was magnificent, the most striking out of all the five trees of paradise. The bark was a burnished gold and the leaves were shining copper. The flowers were white and soft, with bright orange in their hearts. 

Baekhyun and Junmyeon’s trees had arisen from the same churning of the universe, and yet, Junmyeon’s possessed more latent power and Baekhyun’s tree held more grace. They were tree siblings, both capable of fulfilling wishes of mortals, both revered, both worshipped, and yet, Baekhyun had not spoken to Junmyeon in years. 

Baekhyun was gone; he was missing from the garden; he had left and never come back in all these years, not even to tend to his tree. With all his endless charisma and ceaseless charm, the trickle of laughter and thud thud of gentle footsteps, Baekhyun had left the garden and even the air lamented his loss. 

Junmyeon, Seulgi and Soojung acutely felt his loss, and came together on rare occasions to call out to him and grieve his loss; and Sehun, Sehun was never known to show his emotions. But ever since Baekhyun passed away from  _ Amaravati,  _ Sehun’s melodies had been plaintive. Without Baekhyun, there was no one to draw him out of his solitary retirement; without Baekhyun, there was no one to sing along to his tunes, without Baekhyun, there was no one to force a chuckle out of him, without Baekhyun, there was no light. 

Sehun resented Junmyeon; it was for Junmyeon’s audacity that Baekhyun had to leave  _ Amaravati  _ after all. Junmyeon was to be blamed in all of this; Junmyeon had disregarded Baekhyun’s wishes; Junmyeon had..Junmyeon had.. _ let Chanyeol live as an immortal! _ Chanyeol who had grown up to be long of sinews and limbs, Chanyeol who got to splash about in the divine ponds of eternal sunshine and flirt with the celestial nymphs; Chanyeol who got to strut around  _ Amaravati  _ with his equally insufferable friends _ ,  _ befriending every tree, root and divine being. 

Sehun held an inexplicable dislike towards the young tree spirit, but the worst part of it was that Junmyeon had forbidden Sehun from ever treating Chanyeol with obvious disregard. 

So, Sehun hid himself in his own corner and disliked people from afar. He wished his best friend would return. Chanyeol was all grown up now, could Baekhyun keep away any more? 

“That day is not far.” Soojung would trill whenever she passed by his tree, “Our Chanyeol is all of twenty summers, he is of age. Baekhyun won’t be able to keep away, no matter what he said while leaving. If the rain is here, can the rainbow be far behind?”

 

And so, a whole garden of paradise, which had spent twenty winters without Baekhyun, without his rejuvenating touch and ringing laughter, waited for his return with bated breath. 

The first signs of his return were already here; Baekhyun’s white peacocks had been sighted meandering around the centre of the garden on countless occasions. Everybody knew, every root, every leaf, every thorn knew that his white peacocks went wherever his thoughts went. Baekhyun’s thoughts seemed to be intent on _Amaravati_ these past few months, no matter what he had uttered to Junmyeon at the time of leaving the place in a hurry.

  
Chanyeol did not know the significance of the white peacocks he often sighted these days; wherever he went, whether he was collecting fruits, playing with his doe, tending to the wounded barks of trees, or hunting in the forest, chasing away wild animals that somehow forced their way in these paradise lands,  he would come across these brilliant birds.

The young tree spirit, youngest in all of  _ Amravati  _ compared to other tree spirits, was largely unaware that the pair of white peacocks were Baekhyun’s. And that they appeared wherever Baekhyun's thoughts went.

No one told him about Baekhyun, at least not at length. He was told the barest minimum, hidden from the truth and hidden from the pain.

He was but the youngest tree spirit, even younger that Kyungsoo and Jongdae, the tree spirits with who he gallivanted about with.

 

Twenty years ago, on a wintry night, a small sapling had pushed its way through the ground, asserting its right to burst into existence. What came as a surprise to all the inhabitants of  _ Amravati  _ was that the sapling had taken root right next to Baekhyun’s night jasmine tree. Impossibly close.  _ Impossible. _

Trees shied away from getting too close to the five trees of paradise, in reverence and awe. And here was this baby sapling, carrying a boon in its midst, proudly erupting near the night jasmine tree, the _parijat_ which was celebrated across all of existence. 

The sapling grew into a small plant overnight. The whole meadow had sighed in blissful unison when a baby was found in the midst of its bud. Junmyeon had himself lifted the baby covered with yellow pollen dust from the bud, and named him Chanyeol. It was a miracle; the last tree spirit to take birth was a hundred years ago, and it had been the irascible Jongdae. 

The courtesans, wood nymphs and water nymphs had taken turns to look after Chanyeol, and see that he grew into the handsome male that he was destined to become. 

Jongdae and Kyungsoo, the naughty tree spirits, had taken care of Chanyeol’s tree. Just as Chanyeol grew to tower over all others, his tree too grew to be lofty and sturdy.

_ Ashoka - the sorrowless,  _ an evergreen tree where lovely red flowers bloomed all throughout the year. 

When Chanyeol was old enough to take care of his tree by himself, he also began to  painstakingly care for the poor night jasmine tree, devoid of its tree spirit. 

“I wonder where its tree spirit went off to.” Chanyeol would mumble to himself sadly, watering both the trees.

Sometimes he asked questions about the divine tree to Junmyeon.

“Where has he been for so long? Why wouldn’t he come back?”

“Baekhyun doesn’t want to be in the garden anymore.” Junmyeon would say kindly.

“But -but his tree? This lovely  _ parijat  _ with the loveliest of flowers? Won’t this tree fall into ruin?”

“Not if you take care of it the way you’re doing.” Junmyeon would smile, seemingly pleased with himself and the scheme of things.

“Do you think I should trim the  _ ashoka?  _ It’s started to lean so heavily into the  _ parijat?  _ Is my tree sick?” 

Junmyeon would laugh, advising Chanyeol against doing so, mumbling something about trees being sentient who needed company and  _ love.  _

_ Love _ .

The tree spirit had been too young to understand this malaise of the heart. He took care of the  _ parijat  _ like it was his own tree, and felt that the tree bonded with him in return.

Chanyeol, with his child’s hands, would pluck every fallen jasmine from the grown, and make ornaments for the wood nymphs from them.

_ Love. _

Chanyeol was yet to fall in love. He had witnessed Jongdae falling in love with all the water nymphs in the pond one after the other though. Was that love? Easily falling for someone every other day, or was there more? 

The jasmine flowers bloomed to full glory every night, and surrendered themselves to the ground come morning. 

“When Baekhyun was here, his tree never shed its flowers. But now, the tree is lamenting its spirit's loss.” Junmyeon told him.

Chanyeol would think it was the saddest thing, and he had to witness it every dawn. The mighty, wish fulfilling tree, fixed to the earth, roots spread far and wide, waiting, unmoving, for Baekhyun to come home. 

His own  _ ashoka  _ could never compare with the blindingly beautiful  _ parijat,  _ but together, the trees provided the calm sort of shade for animals to take shelter under. 

Chanyeol, as a child, would wish upon the  _ parijat _ tree every night for Baekhyun to return so that he did not have to pick up the jasmines from the ground painstakingly each morning. “You poor  _ parijat!”  _ he would sigh, roving his hands over the golden trunk, basking under the shade it provided. “The three worlds revere you, but your spirit has left your side. Aren’t you empty, lonely?”

Chanyeol was a child no longer, but he still wondered about Baekhyun from time to time. He had learnt to keep his musings to himself, because overtime, he had realised that Junmyeon dissuaded any talk of Baekhyun. And yet, Chanyeol had heard in passing from the other tree spirits and beasts  that Baekhyun was a beauty, a beauty as only celestial beauties could be.

Chanyeol got blue water lilies for Soojung from the farthest ponds now and then just so he could hear her speak endlessly about Baekhyun’s beauty. 

“Unlike Sehun, Seulgi and I, or even you, Baekhyun didn’t sprout out like a bud from the ground.” Soojung would recount, twirling the steps of the water lilies in her lovely fingers, “Junmyeon and he were summoned at the churning of the universe. They are made of stardust and Divine will. For many nights and many days, the universe was churned and Junmyeon came first, followed closely by Baekhyun. They will exist as long as Divine will shall exist, immaterial whether mortals and immortals remember them or not.”

Chanyeol loved to hear Soojung talk, even though Jongdae and Kyungsoo were of the opinion that the wood apple spirit was nothing but a common gossip.

Soojung’s long, wavy hair fell all the way to the forest floor, and she carefully weaved the water lilies into her hair in tiny braids. “Baekhyun’s skin is like polished gold, and when he speaks, tiny musical fountains erupt in the lakes deep in the forests. But all that reverence from mortals has gone into his head. He is somewhat haughty, a little moody. He fulfills everyone’s wishes if it is within reason, but holds out of pure spite sometimes. And because he is almost the same as Junmyeon, even Junmyeon cannot discipline him. I miss him.” Soojung would sigh.

Chanyeol would sigh as well. He missed Baekhyun too, even though he had yet to meet this godly tree spirit. But he knew in his heart that he missed Baekhyun; would he ever possess the grace to see Baekhyun with his own eyes for once..If the tree was so magnificent, how beautiful would its spirit be? 

If Baekhyun was Soojung’s pride, Chanyeol was the pride of Junmyeon. The fondness for Chanyeol openly reflected in Junmyeon’s eyes, and though the mulberry tree spirit had words of reprimand for Kyungsoo and Jongdae on every other occasion, he very openly favored Chanyeol.

The  _ ashoka  _ tree spirit was gigantic in form, and when he took his bow and arrow to the forests to chase out wild animals come from the netherworld, all manners of celestial beings paused in their actions to glance at him. Strong limbs and thighs, chiselled physique, and intense eyes,  _ who’s he?  _ they would whisper among themselves, bending over backwards to take a second look. 

“The youngest tree spirit. Chanyeol. He is a  strong one.” someone would answer.

“So  _ he’s  _ Chanyeol, the one Junmyeon has taken under his wing, Baekhyun’s ..?”

Yes, yes, they would nod among themselves, watching the  _ ashoka  _ tree spirit pass. 

And Chanyeol would move on, unaware that stories followed his wake, unaware that his name was tied to Baekhyun’s for now and forevermore. Unaware that he had been blessed by none other than Junmyeon all those years ago, Junmyeon who could deliver souls, Junmyeon who watched over mortal beings transcend from one plane to the other.

Oh, how Chanyeol had grown up under Junmyeon’s divine blessings! 

The winds and birds sang his praises in secret, and scattered his repute all across the four directions. Chanyeol was the most pleasing to the eyes, the tallest, the youngest, the beloved of  _ Amaravati.  _ Chanyeol was the  _ ashoka  _ tree spirit, with a blinding aura, surefooted and steady, calm and composed, righteous and brave. He was  _ ashoka -  _ without sorrow. And thus it was destined that he would know no lasting sorrow.

So many things were hidden from him; even the air held its breath for the day to arrive when Chanyeol would realise the true purpose of his coming to being. 

For now, the celestial beings were happy to quietly observe him picking blue water lilies for Soojung.

“More ornaments for Soojung-ah’s hair?” Kyungsoo came and whispered in Chanyeol’s ear. 

Chanyeol flicked water at his friend’s face for sneaking up on him unawares. They were waist deep in water, wading at the pond. Jongdae was at the far side of the water body, sweet talking to a water nymph, making her giggle and tremble in pleasure. 

It was a pleasant day to be out under the sun, splashing about in the pond, their ornaments and clothes discarded by the embankment. 

“Soojung is partial to the blue ones.” Chanyeol said in reply, reaching his long hands out to pluck another one out of the water. 

Soojung’s swan was swimming around them, gracefully observing Jongdae flirt. 

Kyungsoo came closer to Chanyeol and nudged him, pointing to something far off. The  _ ashoka  _ tree spirit craned his neck for a better look; he saw flashes of white between the green of the trees.

“Ahhh!” Chanyeol said gaily, suddenly very pleased, “those white peacocks! I have been seeing them everywhere this spring. Where have they suddenly emerged from, never saw them before in these parts.” And Chanyeol had spent his youth in the deep of the forest, taking care of wounded animals and chasing the wild ones away. He had never come across any peacocks earlier.

Kyungsoo frowned; it seemed he wanted to say something but thought the better of it.

“What?” Chanyeol enquired, curious.

“Nothing.”

“Surely it means something, you’re frowning like that.” Chanyeol shook the water out of his hair, his tan chest sparkling. 

“It is a sign.” Jongdae shouted from a distance, “It means your time has come.”

Chanyeol was so intent on Jongdae that he entirely missed Kyungsoo shaking his head in warning at Jongdae.

“What time has come?” Chanyeol shrugged Jongdae’s words off, knowing that the latter didn’t mean half the things he said. 

“Ah, let him be. He’s a fool. What does he know.” Kyungsoo pipped, biting his lip. 

Chanyeol had a trusting heart; he looked towards the distance. The white peacocks were gone. He wondered.

Of course they would be gone; this was the middle of the forest and beasts and birds of the wild did not like to linger around tree spirits for long. 

Chanyeol turned his head this way and that to locate his doe. “Where’s Lu?” he mused. Lu was the golden doe which belonged to Chanyeol. He had rescued Lu from the clutches of a wild tiger once; ever since then, Lu never left his side, following him wherever he went. Lu liked to graze around the garden of  _ Amaravati,  _ and very rarely followed Chanyeol into the wild forest. 

Today, however, despite Chanyeol asking it not to, the golden doe followed him here, to the heart of the forest. The tree spirit was so attached to his doe that his heart clenched oddly when Lu was nowhere to be seen.

“I’ll help you search for Lu.” Kyungsoo offered, seeing Chanyeol’s sudden distress, about to follow him out of the water. 

Chanyeol shook his head, handing his friend the water lilies instead. “No, do me a favour and give these to Soojung-ah. Tell her that I will hear her tales some other day. Poor Lu, no doubt she wandered off after some exotic leaf. There’s nothing to worry though, it’s calm in these parts. I am certain that if I call for her, she’ll magically appear.”

Even though he said there is nothing to worry, Chanyeol hurriedly tied his loincloth around his lower half. The ornaments were left beside Kyungsoo’s for his friends to carry home to. The  _ ashoka  _ tree spirit grabbed his bow and slung the quiver full of arrows around his back, “See you at supper.” Chanyeol smiled, giving Kyungsoo a wink. 

“Chanyeol-ah, don’t wander too close to the borders.” his friend called out, visibly worried.

Chanyeol brandished his bow, “Don’t worry at all. I’ll be safe.” It was not like he had not travelled to the edges of  _ Amaravati  _ before. He had hunted dangerous beasts of the netherworld and wrestled demons. He was blessed by Junmyeon; he would always emerge victorious.

An hour or two passed, and although Chanyeol did manage to pick up his darling doe’s trail in the forest, he didn’t catch up to her.

“Where are you heading off to, Lu.” he whistled to himself, pulling apart low hanging branches to make his way through the thick foliage.

It did not seem as though the doe was terrorised or chased by a beast, rather, it increasingly became clear to Chanyeol that Lu was purposefully making its way towards the edge of  _ Amaravati. _

What you think, you attract. And Chanyeol had kept his thoughts focused on Baekhyun for so long, for far too long. His steps, his fate, his destiny, his purpose took him to the edge of  _ Amaravati _ that afternoon.

By the time the sun was ready to embrace the earth in the distant horizon, and the sky was beginning to glow an unreal orange, Chanyeol had made it to the extreme edge. The trees gradually started to thin, and blue hills could be seen in the distance. Although he had never been here before, he knew what place this was.

Chasing Lu, he had come very close to the portals which opened to the netherworld. Chanyeol had chased beasts and evil spirits back to the underworld but never through this portal. No beast approached this portal; it was guarded by the serpent-dragon afterall.

According to Soojung, centuries ago the serpent-dragon Kai had performed severe penance to earn the right to live in peace in the outskirts of  _ Amaravati.  _ He lived as a serpent under Baekhyun’s  _ parijat  _ and served as a liege to the divine tree spirit for thousands of years. Pleased with Kai’s servitude, Baekhyun had granted him his wish of living in  _ Amaravati,  _ albeit as a guardian of one of the portals of the netherworld.

Soojung had also spoken in his ear the rumour whispered by the winds. Rumour had it that Baekhyun had left the gardens for a life in the hills, in the serpent-dragon’s territory right beside the gates to the netherworld. Baekhyun had been very close to Kai after all, they parted as brothers and it was only fair that Kai offered his hospitality when Baekhyun needed a place to stay. 

“But why would Baekhyun opt to leave in the first place?” Chanyeol had made the mistake of wondering out loud in front of Junmyeon.

Junmyeon had been so displeased with Soojung, Chanyeol had never seen the mulberry spirit so distraught and angry! Soojung had avoided Chanyeol for a while after that incident. “What Baekhyun did and did not do, where he stays or does not stay, is not your concern to worry about. Baekhyun is the  _ parijat,  _ if he doesn’t wish to stay among us any longer, we must respect his wishes.” Junmyeon had remarked tautly. His eyes turned kindly later, “Chanyeol! I have blessed you, this entire  _ Amaravati  _ is yours to wander around. But do not go near the serpent-dragon’s lair, this I beseech you. You have seen the  _ parijat,  _ laden with lovely flowers. You have not tasted the poison inside Baekhyun’s spirit. He is not someone you can take lightly. He will not take kindly to any intrusion. Let us give him his space.”

But here Chanyeol was, led to the serpent-dragon’s lair by none other than his doe. He saw a green hill with hundreds of steps carved in it, leading to the top. And he saw the silhouette of his dear doe.

“Oh Lu!” Chanyeol sighed, relieved. “How much more will you make me walk?”

Chanyeol was about to step in the foot of the staircase, green with grass and mossy with baby flowers, when he saw the silhouette of a person. That person had his palm resting on Lu’s back. 

Was it a friend or foe, Chanyeol wondered. He grabbed an arrow from his quiver and loaded it in his bow. The person’s arm was still resting on Lu’s back when Chanyeol made it to the top, a little breathless; his shy doe made no move to walk away from the person’s grasp.

It was like a whip lashing Chanyeol’s consciousness; it was like sudden chills in warm weather; it was like coming face to face with life. 

Chanyeol gaped, open mouthed. 

The figure made not the slightest move, carefully staring back at Chanyeol; he looked like he had nowhere to go, nowhere else to be, no pressing matter to attend to. He looked perfectly at home in the hills, and yet he could not be the serpent-dragon. He was of slight build, with black hair cascading down his face in waves. The eyes were a piercing green, the sort of green that would shine even in the dark.

Chanyeol lowered his arrow and gazed at the face; it was the most enchanting face he had rested his eyes upon. Without even knowing why, Chanyeol felt his eyes well up; he had been a parched river all along and this person standing in front of him was rainfall. He knew he was staring dumbstruck, but he could not rein his awe. His throat was dry.

Chanyeol tightened his hand on his bow; he had to grab hard to some object, the ground under his feet was shifting. He was panting, breathing hard; was it because he had run all the way here, or was it because this being had knocked his breath out by simply staring back at him.

“You’re no wild animal in disguise.” Chanyeol commented, as soon as the wind brought him the person’s fragrance.

“I am not.” the person said, hand still on the doe, as if he had claimed the pet for his own. There was no expression on his face, no frown, no smile, not the slightest bit of surprise.

Chanyeol’s nape tingled at the being’s voice; had he heard the voice before, perhaps in a long forgotten dream?

“Who are you?” he asked, not approaching, nor retracting. 

The ethereal being considered him, chin now slightly raised. He was silent for a while, but spoke eventually. “And you are?”

“I am Chanyeol.”

The corner of the being’s lips curled up just the slightest bit, “Chanyeol?”

“Chanyeol from  _ Amaravati.”  _ the  _ ashoka  _ tree spirit elaborated.

The being closed his eyes, and breathed.  _ “ _ This place also falls in  _ Amaravati.” _

_ “ _ The dragon stays here.” Chanyeol retorted “Wait- are you- are you the dragon?”

The green, green eyes  flew open, “Do I look like a dragon?”

Chanyeol shook his head, puzzled. No, he did not look like a dragon. He looked like happiness had taken a human shape but what did Chanyeol know. He was only a young tree spirit. “Then who are you?”

The enchanting being let go of the doe, the move a little too flippant, “You should go. You are trespassing here. Kai does not like trespassers. I don’t like trespassers either.” The voice held finality to it. “I summoned your doe here because I took a liking to her. Apologies for making you walk all this way.”

_ Kai! Trespassers. Then this person was -  _

Chanyeol fell his limbs giving out, he fell to his knees in sudden realisation.

“You-Kai? The serpent dragon?” he nearly choked, “you are the tree spirit, the  _ parijat!” _

For Junmyeon had once told him that the tree spirit and tree are one and the same. 

“Is he a tree, or a tree spirit?” Chanyeol had asked Junmyeon once, of Baekhyun.

“He is both the tree and the tree spirit.” came the reply.

“How is that possible?” Chanyeol himself was separate from the  _ ashoka  _ tree. True, he hurt when the tree hurt, but he and the tree were not the same. The law did not apply to the five trees of paradise. Junmyeon, Baekhyun, Seulgi, Sehun and Soojung. 

Junmyeon had smiled, a genuine smile, “Why can’t it be possible? If you free your mind of the binds you have placed on it, anything can be possible.”

The tree spirit, Baekhyun, kept quiet but his lotus shaped eyes pierced into Chanyeol’s very soul.

“You must come back.” Chanyeol managed in a hoarse whisper, looking up at the figure. “Your tree sheds flowers every night. Do you know?”

“I know.” Baekhyun said, for he  _ had to be _ Baekhyun, no other being could be so breathtaking, “And you pick them up every morning.”

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. It was dark, but they were surrounded by Baekhyun’s luminous glow. They were all wrong. All wrong. Such flimsy descriptions; none of them came close to describing Baekhyun’s actual beauty. He was captivating, ensnaring. 

“You must come back.” Chanyeol pleaded.

“What for?” Baekhyun asked, his voice harsh, an invisible arrow to Chanyeol’s heart.

“We- they miss you. The trees, birds, earth, air, lakes and rivers, they miss your presence.”

Baekhyun scoffed, “So?”

Chanyeol frowned, Baekhyun was every bit arresting as fabled, and then some more, but perhaps he was also too proud. Afterall he had forsaken  _ Amaravati.  _ Chanyeol got up on his feet, suddenly wishing to put distance between them. He felt foolish all of a sudden, begging the tree spirit to come home like that. The  _ parijat  _ probably did not care of his existence. 

Baekhyun, it seemed, was still waiting for his answer.

“So...nothing.” Chanyeol smiled tightly, abashed. “I just thought, you may miss them too.”

Baekhyun tilted his head to a side, “Well, I don’t.”

Chanyeol had nothing to reply to this; for long many years, as long as he could remember, he had begged and pleaded in his heart for the tree spirit’s return. And now that he had finally come face to face with Baekhyun, Chanyeol wondered if ignorance was truly not bliss. 

Junmyeon did warn him that Baekhyun held poison in his spirit. The serpent-dragon had coiled around the base of the  _ parijat  _ tree for thousands of years after all. 

No, he did know Baekhyun, not even the slightest bit. It was too forward of him to even presume to know the  _ parijat,  _ just because he had acted as the caretaker of the tree.

Chanyeol suddenly felt very foolish. What were twenty years to an immortal tree spirit who had existed since the beginning of time. He was a mere second, a fly, a nobody in this  _ parijat’s  _ eyes. There were those who lay at Baekhyun’s feet for thousand upon thousands of years; what were his twenty years even worth. A second. A flicker. A moment not worth taking note of.

In front of the silver luminescence of this divine tree spirit, Chanyeol felt small. He was the pride of  _ Amaravati  _ but too small, almost worthless, in comparison to Baekhyun.

Chanyeol stood up to full height, suddenly proud, “Right. I should leave.” He gestured towards his doe gently, “May I bring it along?”

Baekhyun's eyes roved all over Chanyeol; pausing at his lips, at his broad chest, at his hands, “It was never my intention to claim the doe as my own.” he finally said, taking two steps back.

Chanyeol grabbed Lu and bowed to Baekhyun. “I’ll get going then.”

Baekhyun just stood there, without a frown, without a blemish on his perfect face, without the hint of a smile. 

It was so difficult to tear his eyes away from the divine spirit, not knowing if it was a dream or  reality, or a vision, but Chanyeol managed to get his bearings in order and turn his back to Baekhyun. 

He was crying by the time he stepped inside the forest that would take him back to his abode, far away from Baekhyun. Chanyeol let himself cry, not questioning himself on the sudden urge to fall down on his knees and sob his heart out. He felt empty, his chest hurt. Oh, woe. Why did he have to meet Baekhyun? He could have been perfectly happy, aimless, but still happy if he hadn’t met Baekhyun.

And now that he had, he was destined to lament like all other beings in  _ Amaravati. _ He was destined to miss the  _ parijat  _ forever, wasn’t it. It was such a short chance meeting, a flicker in time, and Chanyeol would forever bemoan Baekhyun’s loss from  _ Amaravati.  _

He understood now, understood why all beings called out to Baekhyun; Baekhyun was like joy, like a fulfilment to the soul. Having him close one minute and not having him next was painful, so painful. Baekhyun, Baekhyun, Baekhyun, he was destined to miss Baekhyun like all others. He would know sorrow too.

Was this why Junmyeon had warned him against venturing to the serpent-dragon’s lair. Perhaps he knew Baekhyun would encase Chanyeol’s heart in a little over three seconds. Perhaps Junmyeon had wanted to save Baekhyun from the hurt. 

Why did he not heed Junmyeon’s warnings? How could the other beings live like this, without Baekhyun in their midst.

 

Chanyeol fell to the tree’s roots and lay there for a long, long time, staring at the starless sky until sleep claimed him. 

_ Love, was this love? _

Had he loved Baekhyun all along? If so, was he born to love Baekhyun. What other purpose did he have, what other purpose could any being have, except for loving Baekhyun.

Come morning, the orange hearted blossoms fell all over Chanyeol’s form, decorating him in his sleep. They fell on his forehead, they were buried in his glossy hair, they pervaded his senses, they permeated his being and left him  longing for more. More, more, more of Baekhyun, please. Without opening his eyes, the tree spirit grabbed a jasmine with his fingers and brought it to his lips. He felt his doe nudging him awake but he pretended to be asleep, surrounded by Baekhyun’s flowers, for a long time. 

  
  


Chanyeol took to sleeping under the  _ parijat  _ tree.

 

Ten or so days later, one gray morning, Chanyeol woke up to the pleasant melody of Sehun’s flute. They avoided Sehun, and Sehun avoided them. But all of  _ Amaravati  _ rejoiced when they heard Sehun’s music. Chanyeol had, on many occasions, heard the flute’s music in the air, loud and clear, sometimes from far, sometimes from near. But never had he heard such happy, pleasant notes originating from Sehun’s lips.

The sandalwood spirit was happy, it seemed. Such a rare occurrence. Why was he happy? What could make a sullen tree spirit like Sehun happy, Chanyeol wondered.

 

When Chanyeol and Jongdae went down to the pond to bathe after breaking their fast, the lovely notes could still be heard around the forest. “I have never heard a merrier tune.” Chanyeol mused, divesting his garments. 

“I have.” Jongdae said, jumping into the pond with a splash, scaring the ducks who were swimming peacefully. Jongdae laughed when he saw the ducks scamper. “When Baekhyun resided here, Sehun played lovelier tunes.”

 

Chanyeol dipped his feet in the water, evading Jongdae’s eyes. “Were they lovers?” he asked  quietly, submerging his lower half into the water. 

Jongdae cackled, “Lovers? No. Don’t let Sehun hear you, he will bite your bums off. They’re like brothers. They have spent aeons together after all.”

Chanyeol pretended to play with a water lily. “How was - what was Baekhyun like? You never speak about him. Nobody ever speaks about him in front of me.”

Jongdae shrugged, looking to the skies, “He was like -  _ dragon!”  _ the tree spirit exclaimed.

 

Chanyeol frowned, “Like a dragon?”

“No.” Jongdae screeched, pointing skywards, “It’s a dragon, look.”

 

Chanyeol craned his neck, and true enough, a green serpent with enormous wings came into view, getting nearer and nearer. 

“Get your bow, Chanyeol.” Jongdae said, his voice steady. 

“What if it’s..a friendly dragon?” Chanyeol shot back, but still scampering in the mud to get his bow. 

“I don’t care. We don’t tolerate dragons in  _ Amaravati.  _ They are forever banned from entering.”

The dragon seemed to be heading straight to the heart of the gardens. 

Chanyeol took careful aim, and let his arrow fly. It hit the dragon's underbelly. Jongdae and Chanyeol watched as the green monster twisted mid air at the impact of the hit, taking several seconds to steady itself, before changing course and making straight for them.

The  _ ashoka  _ tree spirit pulled at his bow string again.

“Hit him between the eye this time.” Jongdae instructed, calm and collected. This was their forest, no beast could best them in these forests, such was Junmyeon’s boon on each of them. 

Chanyeol took a deep breath and stood firm on his stance. The dragon was getting closer and closer. 

“But-  _ wait.”  _ Jongdae directed, “there’s someone else. Someone riding the dragon. Wait.  _ Wait.”  _ And then Jongdae fell to his knees, at once recognising, at once respectful.

A strong gust of wind from the dragon's wings slapped Chanyeol face and yet he did not, could not look away. 

It was Baekhyun riding atop the dragon, looking hardly fazed at Chanyeol pointing his arrow at him. Chanyeol lowered his bow, wetting his lips, waiting..

But it was not Chanyeol who Baekhyun spoke to when he glided gracefully to the ground; the divine spirit kept his eyes carefully averted from Chanyeol.

Baekhyun smiled at Jongdae.

“I am finally come.” the  _ parijat  _ said, announcing his return to  _ Amaravati  _ as simply as that, like he had never left. “Rise.” he told Jongdae, side eyeing Chanyeol at the same time, as though silently rebuking him for not showing his respects. “Kai and I were peacefully on our way to the gardens before one of you decided to attack him.” Baekhyun glanced at Chanyeol’s bow, and smiled lopsidedly. “We shall continue on our way, and you should -” his eyes travelled over the lithe form of Chanyeol, “bathe.”

 

Chanyeol did not speak, did not move, did not breathe as he watched the tree spirit climb atop the serpent-dragon. Baekhyun threw a final glance in their direction before the serpent-dragon’s massive wings carried him away.

 

_ Baekhyun. Baekhyun. Baekhyun. Baekhyun was on his way to the gardens. And Sehun’s flute was singing.  _

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Tell me your thoughts. All mine, okay? I swear you won't have to wait too long for the second part of the story.


End file.
